Sport Archives - Phil Andrews

The Greatest: Muhammad Ali in the 1970s

March 22, 2024March 22, 2024Phil AndrewsLeave a Comment

Whilst Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, first announced himself to the world with his breathtaking demolition of the scary Sonny Liston in 1964, landing him the world heavyweight boxing championship at the age of 22, it was perhaps for his encounters in the 1970s against those beasts of the ring Joe Frazier and […]

The Ice Borg Cometh

November 11, 2022November 6, 2023Phil AndrewsLeave a Comment

. Mention Björn Borg in the context of Wimbledon and most people will think back to 1980 and his epic battle with John McEnroe. The sheer contrast in personalities between the fiery American and the cool Swede nicknamed The Ice Borg ensured that this would be a duel that would live long in the memory. […]

12 Things We Most Remember About 1976

August 3, 2021August 19, 2022Phil AndrewsLeave a Comment

1. Concorde enters service On January 21st 1976 a British Airways Concorde took off from London Heathrow airport with a full compliment of passengers destined for Bahrain, while at the exact same time Air France’s maiden Concorde flight left the runway at Paris’ Orly airport for Rio de Janeiro. After initially having been refused permission […]

James Hunt vs. Niki Lauda 1976 – The Greatest Ever Formula One World Championship?

October 9, 2019November 6, 2023Phil AndrewsLeave a Comment

. As great sporting rivalries go, they don’t come any more tense or bitter than that which existed between British playboy racing car driver James Hunt and his steely Austrian competitor Niki Lauda. And nowhere did this stark contrast of style and character manifest itself more explosively than in the unforgettable Formula One World Championship […]

John Curry, Olympic Champion – the 1976 Olympics

October 7, 2019November 6, 2023Phil AndrewsLeave a Comment

. 1976 was an Olympic year, and the choice of Montreal as the host city had, as has so often been the case in more recent years, been to some extent a political decision. It was the Cold War era and the Canadian city had staged its bid in competition with Los Angeles and Moscow. […]

A Giant Slayed in the Sun – The 1976 FA Cup Final

September 27, 2019November 6, 2023Phil AndrewsLeave a Comment

. On 13th December 1975 my own team, Brentford, then plying their trade in English league football’s fourth tier, won a comfortable 2-0 victory at the appropriately named Plough Lane, home of non-league Wimbledon, in the second round of the FA Cup. I attended the match with my mate Tim, in whose company I would […]